


Massacre–the new American dream

by Superiority_of_reason



Category: Zero Day (2003)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29423298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superiority_of_reason/pseuds/Superiority_of_reason
Summary: Every joke has its consequences. What will this one have?
Relationships: Calvin Gabriel/Andre Kriegman
Kudos: 4





	Massacre–the new American dream

**Author's Note:**

> I want to dedicate this text to Andre himself, who really liked my fan fiction. I also dedicate this to my wife.

In the evening, everything always seems different. Especially when you are on the edge of the forest near the campfire.

The glow of the flames barely illuminated the surrounding area, lost in the foliage. The smoke curled upward, dissipating somewhere in the darkness.

The sky is clear, for the first time in several days, for the end of April it was very rare.

A cool spring breeze stirred the treetops a little. A pleasant atmosphere that evokes many different thoughts. Such an idyll could only be destroyed by a friend who, after a long silence, decided to defuse the situation with a question that had been bothering him since the beginning of this school year.

— So what about the prom? Are you going there with Rachel? —Andre asked casually, trying to show that he wasn't interested in the subject at all. But in fact, he had long guessed what the answer would be.

Calvin smiled awkwardly. In the morning, they had a big fight with Rachel and he didn't want to talk to her, and because the prom was less than a day away, he wouldn't be able to find a new partner for sure.  
All he could do now was admit defeat and give Andre something to new joke about.

—No, and I don't want to talk about it, I probably won't go anywhere at all —Cal was angry with himself and Rachel, it seemed that now he was a loser even more than usual.

Apparently Kriegman didn't notice the change in his friend's mood. In fact, he was glad, because he didn't want Calvin to spend the prom with Rachel, he hated her, and it seems that their dislike was mutual.

—So your pretty blonde face was useless this time.— Andre suggested with a clever look, for which he immediately received from Gabriel.

Both guys laughed, such jokes in their communication have already become something commonplace.

—Fuck you.—Calvin tried to change the subject, he never liked to talk about his failures with everyone, even if it was his best friend.

—Yeah, so what?  
Sincerely not understanding why the proms were invented at all and what their meaning was, Andre had not even thought about finding a partner until that day.

— ... I could do it.—Cal said it in a slightly lowered voice, as if it was some kind of secret. He didn't even think about what he said. Just the first words that came to mind, but he wasn't going to give them up, on the contrary, it seemed like a good idea.

At first, Andre thought it would be better to ignore Gabriel's suggestion, because it must be just an idiotic joke, and if he reacted to it in any way, he would lose in their unspoken game, but after a few seconds of confusion, the guy still came to the conclusion that in any case, nothing bad should happen, and it is definitely much better than spending the whole evening on another shift in a pizzeria.  
—You know, why not? Let's just do it.

***  
Calvin was nervous. He and Andre had gone home more than two hours ago, and his thoughts kept returning to that moment and his own suggestion.  
Why didn't he ever think about what he was talking about? Because of this, he found himself in awkward situations all his life.  
In fact, Calvin knew that if he could relive this moment, he probably wouldn't change anything and would invite him again, and the fact that Andre had agreed so easily made his heart skip a few beats.  
The thoughts were spinning in my head and multiplying every minute, and the anxiety about tomorrow was growing at such an alarming rate that it soon reached such a climax that it was simply impossible to sit in one place.

Abruptly, Calvin jumped out of bed and walked confidently to his closet in the far corner of the room.  
The time on the desk clock was approaching three o'clock in the morning.  
It seems that did not want to sleep at all, and it would not have worked.  
Nervously throwing things around, Cal tried to find something to wear to the prom.  
He wasn't going to make a big impression, but his clothes had to match Kriegman's suit.  
After sorting through a decent pile of all sorts of t-shirts and sweatshirts, he stopped a picky look at a classic snow-white shirt and a black suit.  
It was too banal – it wouldn't attract too many glances and unsolicited criticism, so this image was perfect.  
After changing, Calvin turned with interest to the mirror, where a boy with piercing blue eyes and perpetually disheveled hair was looking at him.  
His imagination immediately conjured up a series of pictures of him walking into a huge hall in this costume  
Andre is next to him and they don't care about the bunch of school kids around them...

He's been lost in his thoughts too much lately, but at least there the guy could feel happy.

***  
The alarm clock had been ringing insistently for ten minutes, but only now did Gabriel bother to wake up and throw a pillow in the direction of the bedside table.  
The nasty sound stopped immediately. Calvin pulled the blanket over his head and rolled over in disgust, taking his time getting up.  
He didn't remember falling asleep last night, but given the fact that it was already light outside, it must have been in the morning.  
He was forced out of bed by the fact that someone was now honking under his windows.  
It must have been Andre, who had kindly agreed to give his slow-moving friend a ride to school.  
Cal's bare feet barely touched his slippers when the doorbell rang. Apparently, now he will definitely have to start packing. Gabriel hurriedly locked himself in the bathroom so that his friend wouldn't have time to reach him.  
After washing himself in cold water, which finally woke him up completely, he began to search for a comb, which had the wonderful property of disappearing whenever the need for it appeared.  
As it turned out later, Calvin just wasted his time, because even after he finally found a comb and tried to give the unruly blonde strands a decent look, they eventually remained in a "creative mess", as they were called by the owner himself.  
Since Gabriel hadn't bothered to change before going to bed, all he had to do was clumsily tie his tie and, spurred on by Andre's grumbling at him, quickly say goodbye to his parents and run to the car.

Of course, they arrived when the party had already started.  
The loud music coming from the gym seemed to be heard all over the city. It was even scary to imagine what was happening in the school itself at that moment.  
Andre, looking around thoughtfully, parked the car, mentally noting that the party was going to be grand — on the porch of the school and around the perimeter of the small courtyard, students were gathering in groups.  
There were so many of them that not all of them came into view, and how many of them were still inside...

Opening the back door wide, Andre coughed softly, drawing the attention of Calvin, who already seemed to have fallen asleep during their ride.

With a grin, the blond man accepted the proffered hand and finally got out of the car.  
Krigman's stupid gesture was disconcerting, as if it was revenge for what had happened yesterday.  
—Well, the score is 1:1, which means we're still tied, but the night is still ahead— Calvin summed up with the most triumphant air, and as soon as the car closed, the two guys started walking toward the school.

Despite the fact that the largest hall of the school was converted for graduation, there was still a catastrophic lack of space. The hall was filled with hundreds of schoolchildren, who moved to the rhythm of the music that seemed to be coming from all sides.  
The golden glow from the disco‐ball ran erratically across the floor and walls, sometimes mixing with the bright neon flashes that came from small spotlights hanging just above the ceiling.  
The center of the hall was turned into a kind of dance floor, behind which was an imitation of the stage, where now there was a lot of equipment like a music center and LED lamps.  
Along the walls, one by one, stood those who had not been able to find company for the evening.  
It was there that Andre kept casting a worried glance, and it only now dawned on him that if it hadn't been for Calvin's stupid joke, he would probably be joining the ranks of these losers right now. And now he's not a loser, because he has a mate.

As the boys entered the hall, someone handed Cal a glass of the strange liquid and immediately disappeared into the crowd. It looks like whiskey mixed with coca-cola.  
The blond turned the glass over in his hands, watching the reflection of the light on the surface of the drink, then just as quickly handed it to some onlooker and, grabbing Andre by the hand, immediately hurried away.

Just for a couple of minutes there was silence in the hall, and immediately after the first smooth chords of the guitar were heard and everyone began to break into pairs, preparing for a slow dance.  
Krigman decided to keep up with the crowd and without asking permission led Cal to the very center of the dance floor.  
Without much ceremony, he immediately put his hands on Cal's waist, which was too thin for a boy's.  
And Calvin didn't really want to be outraged, he believed that they would just get lost in the crowd of dancers and no one would care about the two guys who were the only ones who were going to dance with each other.

Confidently wrapping his arms around Andre's neck, Gabriel rested his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes with a smile, letting his friend lead the dance.  
They immediately lost themselves in the music, slowly waltzing to their favorite song.  
Putting all thoughts aside, Calvin felt really calm for the first time in months.  
Overwhelmed by these feelings, he clung even more tightly to Andre.  
He didn't even want to think about what others would think, even though he could hear the whispers around them and the distant chuckles, but he just forbade himself to think about it, trying to relax and let go of the accumulated worries and problems.

Lost in their own thoughts, neither of them noticed immediately that the music had stopped after the final chord, and they stood there for a couple of seconds while the other couples parted.

Cal finally pulled away, not at all embarrassed, but sorry that the dance had ended so quickly.  
The hall was hot and stuffy, his shirt stuck to his back, and even the drinks didn't help cool down.  
Constantly adjusting his bow tie, Gabriel warned Andre and headed for the exit.

After all this fuss, the cold wind was very welcome. Barely noticeable air currents tousled the blond strands that constantly fell over his eyes.  
Leaning his shoulder against the stone arch that served as a porch, Calvin took from his pocket the half-empty pack of cigarettes he had stolen from his father earlier.  
Shielding the tiny flame of the lighter from the wind, he lit a cigarette and immediately took a drag, letting the bitter white smoke fill his lungs. It was so quiet, it seemed like his mind wasn't paying attention to the music, which had become fast and rhythmic again, preventing it from invading his thoughts and confusing them even more.

The voices came again from behind him. At first, it was hard to tell if they were coming from the school or if someone was standing behind him.  
Amid the unintelligible phrases, loud jokes and shouts were heard.  
It was very unpleasant and nauseatingly disgusting, although Gabriel was still not entirely sure whether the taunts were coming in his direction.  
He was about to turn around to go back to school, but he was blocked by four guys who were at least a full head taller than him.  
Their eyes were filled with contempt, and their lips were stretched in idiotic grins.  
The guy standing directly in front of Calvin said without choosing his words:  
—I think this is the same faggot who recently dropped in at a party with his boyfriend. And why are you here alone? Where did you lose the other faggot? He's already bored with you, and he's decided to find a new boyfriend? What a pity, you looked so good together, especially during the slow dance, that I was almost moved.

Again, there was deafening laughter.

Not giving up trying to escape as soon as possible, Calvin tried to push his way forward, pushing away the one who was apparently the leader of this group of assholes, for which he was immediately grabbed by his jacket and slammed with all his strength against the wall behind him.  
— Didn't your parents teach you that you should answer when someone asks you a question? I'll say it again, for the unintelligent, where's your boyfriend?

Ignoring the question again, Calvin slowly slid down the wall, rubbing the back of his head. His vision blurred, and he felt sick, but he tried to find the strength to get up.  
Finally giving up all futile attempts, he closed his eyes, saying:  
—Ask your faggot friends, since you're such a gay expert. Leave me alone, you clowns.

It seems that Gabriel's words really angered the seniors, because as soon as he said it, he was picked up again and thrown to the ground.  
Cal rolled onto his back and lost track of what was happening. He could feel the strong, chaotic blows. He was kicked, repeatedly passing over the protruding ribs, sometimes grazing his face and head.  
It was very painful, all the time it seemed that he was about to lose consciousness, but finally he did not fall into unconsciousness, because of the feelings of resentment that literally burned through his soul, forming a deep hole there, which absorbed all other feelings and emotions.  
All he cared about now was that Andre would think him pathetic when he found him, if at all. That's why Calvin was so sad.  
Fortunately, his abusers lost interest in him as quickly as they gained it. The blows finally began to feel less frequent, and soon stopped altogether.  
A couple more insults that Cal didn't hear, and the seniors hurried away. And he remained lying on the cold asphalt, not daring to get up.  
It was hard to say how long he had been lying there, but it felt like an eternity, and all this time hundreds of thoughts were flying through his head like a carousel, and he no longer had the strength or desire to cling to them.

Realizing that his friend was taking a suspiciously long time to return, Kriegman ran around the hall several times, trying to find a familiar blond face in the crowd.  
Fifteen minutes had already passed and Calvin hadn't shown up, so Andre ran into the street, knocking down everyone who couldn't get away in front of him, shouting his friend's name all the time.

At the heard of his own name and the familiar voice, Gabriel broke into a smile that was more than out of place in the current situation, and with a great effort, he got to his feet.  
Staggering and almost falling, he waved his hand, attracting the attention of the dark-haired friend who immediately hurried to him, and he found Calvin in the state he was most afraid to see:  
The blond strands were mixed with blood and dirt, there was already a large bruise in the area of the cheekbone, the nose was obviously broken and blood was flowing out of it in thick hot drops, staining the once snow-white shirt with ugly spots, the jacket was all soiled and badly torn.  
And this fool still found the strength to stand up and smile in greeting, standing all beaten up in the middle of a dark street, which is why it looked so frightening.

After waiting for Andre to catch his breath, Calvin recounted the incident very briefly, carefully skirting everything that concerned his thoughts at that moment.

For the first time that evening, there was a ringing silence between the guys, and it was at this moment that it felt especially clear, because it pressed on both of them, but at least gave them a chance to sort out their thoughts.

They stood in the middle of the darkness, lit only by a single street lamp, until Cal reached for the already crumpled pack of cigarettes again.  
After taking a long drag and puffing out the smoke, he finally turned towards his friend, and after making sure that no one was around, he finally asked:  
—Do you understand what that means?  
—...I guess that means we'll need twice as many bullets tomorrow?  
—And you're fucking right.


End file.
